Green Building

1
Green Building

• The future of home building is green building
• Charlie Ruma, Immediate-past President of NAHB

2
Definition

• green building is the resource-efficient
• 1. design
• 2. construction, and
• 3. operation
• of buildings by employing environmentally
  sensible
• 1. construction practices
• 2. systems, and
• 3. materials

3
Facts

• recent phenomenon (1991)
• about a 2 dozen green building programs in
  existence
• municipal
• voluntary (Austin, TX)
• mandatory (Boulder, CO Frisco, TX)
• HBA
• voluntary (Denver, CO Atlanta, GA)
• more to come

4
Components

• main areas addressed by green building programs
• energy and resource efficiency
• water conservation
• health and environmental quality
• materials and waste management
• site design and protection

5
Energy Standards

• reduces energy consumption
• passive solar design
• light-colored roofing
• energy-efficient appliances
• low emissivity windows
• improved insulation
• efficient lighting
• energy-efficient AC and heating systems

6
Resource Standards

• draws on renewable resources where possible
• ground-source heat pumps
• passive solar design
• solar thermal water heaters
• photovoltaic panels

7
Water Standards

• conserves water
• low-flow fixtures
• low-flow toilets
• greywater systems
• rainwater harvesting
• xeriscaping
• smart irrigation systems

8
Materials Standards

• promotes best use of materials
• floor joists, wall studs at 24 centers
• engineered lumber products where possible
• laminated wood in lieu of solid beams
• regionally-produced products
• recycled content carpet and padding
• recycled content roof material

9
Waste Management Standards

• encourages waste management
• recycle construction waste
• outdoor composting
• built-in kitchen recycling center

10
Building Site Standards

• protects the building site
• erosion control site plan
• save and reuse topsoil
• existing tree protection
• replant or donate removed vegetation
• maximize pervious surface

11
Health/Environmental Standards

• focuses on health and environmental quality
• low VOC interior paints
• solvent-free, low-toxic finishes
• radon mitigation
• carbon monoxide detector
• exhaust fan in garage
• moisture control measures
• central vacuum system vented to exterior

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Benefits of Green Building

• lower operating cost
• homes require less energy and use less water
• lower maintenance
• more durable building components/better building
  practices reduce upkeep and replacement costs
• increased home value
• lower documented utility bills
• market for green homes
• improved environmental quality
• indoor (moisture control)
• outdoor (resource-efficiency)

13
Existing Programs

• Austin, TX
• Boulder, CO
• Denver, CO
• Atlanta, GA
• Frisco, TX

14
Austin Green Builder Program

• first green building program in the nation (1991)
• voluntary, municipally-run program
• city-owned utility company is a major partner in
  the program
• certifies homes on a scale of one to four stars.
• 5 content areas focusing on environmental issues
• assists building professionals
• training
• marketing
• technical advice

15
Austin Green Builder Program (cont.)

• market-based and market-driven program (very
  little regulation)
• energy code amendment to building code
• 18 required items out of 170
• focus on education of consumers
• consumers drive the market
• 150,000 marketing budget
• certified approximately 600 homes in 2000

16
Boulders Green Points Building Program

• municipally-run program
• mandatory (regulatory with some flexibility)
• new construction/remodeling over 500 square feet
• Green Points Application
• 1 level with 8 content areas
• few point requirements from the content areas
• additional point for every 200 sf. over 2,500
• mix of city-inspection and self-certification
  standards
• standards in packet (Appendix C)

17
Denvers Built Green Colorado Program

• voluntary, HBArun program
• extensive marketing and education partnerships
  with state government
• provides marketing and technical assistance to
  builders, as well as discounts on educational
  seminars
• great flexibility
• 21 content areas focusing on energy and materials
• only 1 required item out of 136
• certified over 1,200 homes in 2000

18
Atlantas EarthCraft House Program

• voluntary, HBA-run program
• provides builders with training, technical
  assistance, marketing materials, and direct
  referrals
• NAHB Guide to Developing Green Builder Programs
• 1 level with 12 content areas
• certification by HBA
• standards in packet (Appendix D)

19
Friscos Green Builder Program

• mandatory, municipally-run program (adopted May,
  2001)
• first city in the country to adopt the EPAs
  Energy Star program requirements as minimum
  building standards for new homes
• HERS score of 86 (30 more efficient than the
  1993 Model Energy Code)
• mix of third-party certification, government
  certification, and self-certification
• requires builders to donate unwanted building
  materials to a non-profit building organization

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Summary of Programs

• overall
• program administration
• voluntary or mandatory
• program partners
• levels of certification
• method of certification
• number and design of content areas
• total number of standards
• number of required standards

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Why Arent There MoreGreen Buildings?

• decentralized building industry
• information barriers
• split incentives
• transaction costs
• financial barriers
• energy costs

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1. Decentralized Building Industry

• 5.5 million people in construction industry
• from concept to occupancy, constructing a
  building requires
• developers, architects, landscape architects,
  site planners, engineers, contractors,
  craftworkers, interior decorators, realtors,
  lenders
• vast number of companies and individuals require
  education and training in the concepts and
  techniques of green building before it will
  become the norm

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2. Information Barriers

• builders and consumers often lack reliable
  information about renewable or energy-efficient
  technologies
• consumers lack information about energy
  consumption of appliances
• builders lack information on latest techniques
  and materials used in resource and
  energy-efficient building
• government officials lack information about the
  benefits of green building and how those
  principles can be applied in their communities

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3. Split Incentives

• developers, builders, landlords, and others who
  choose the structural components and equipment in
  a building often are not the ones paying the
  operating costs
• minimize initial cost outlay to minimize the
  overall cost of the building

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4. Transaction Costs

• numerous transaction costs combine to emphasize
  speed in the building process
• builders go with what they know
• often less expensive, less efficient products
• dont have time to try out new products
• dont have time to learn new techniques

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5. Financial Barriers

• many builders and homeowners only look at initial
  cost
• technologies that increase the energy efficiency
  of buildings and substitute renewable energy for
  fossil fuels usually raise the initial cost of a
  building.
• homeowners lack the capital
• consumers dont take advantage of the financial
  incentives that exist to help them
• energy efficient mortgages (EEMs)

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6. Energy Costs

• often small cost of the total budget of building
  a new home
• lack of interest on part of consumers leads to
  lack of action on part of builders

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Possible Solutions

• overarching problems
• education
• building industry
• homeowners
• government officials
• financial
• incentives

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Possible Solutions (cont.)

• building industry
• continuing education and training for the
  building industry
• public (HUD, DOE, EPA)
• private (NAHB and local HBA)
• university-level
• expand local programs
• EPA Energy Star
• Green Advantage (Florida Energy Extension
  Service)
• UF Center for Construction and Environment
• Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)

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Possible Solutions (cont.)

• homeowners
• education on the benefits of buying green
• local government
• GRU
• Local HBA
• environmental groups
• Green Advantage (FEES)
• EPA Energy Star program

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Possible Solutions (cont.)

• local government
• strengthen building codes
• government sets building codes and regulations
  to
• protect against shoddy craftsmanship
• promote public health and safety
• ensure compatible land uses
• protect community values
• why not set codes and regulation to require more
  greener construction practices
• Austin, TX
• Boulder, CO
• Frisco, TX
• require municipal building to be green
• marketing and technical advice for builders

32
Possible Solutions (cont.)

• local government
• builder incentives
• fast-track permitting
• reduced builder fees
• homeowner incentives
• GRU
• property tax exemption
• energy efficient mortgages (EEMs)

33
Efforts to Develop Green Building Codes and
Standards

• U.S. Green Building Council
• LEED (commercial buildings)
• LEEDR (residential)
• DOE Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) guidelines
• EPA Energy Star
• qualifies homes for EEMs
• Florida Green Building Coalition
• third draft of standards

34
Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS)

• developed by DOE in1992
• 1993 17 states had HERS
• today 49 states have HERS
• rates the energy-efficiency of new and existing
  homes
• rates homes between 0-100
• qualifies homes for energy efficient mortgages
  (EEMs)
• 80 EEM
• 86 Energy Star

35
Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) (cont.)

• home energy rater inspects the home and and
  measures its energy characteristics
• insulation levels
• window efficiency
• wall-to-window ratios
• heating and cooling system efficiency
• solar orientation of the home
• efficiency of the water heating system
• diagnostic testing
• blower door test (air leakage)
• duct leakage test

36
Energy Efficient Mortgages

• mortgage for which either
• underwriting guidelines have been relaxed
  specifically for energy-efficient features, or
• financial incentives for energy-efficiency
• new and existing homes
• HERS score of 80 or above (1993 MEC)
• more than 2.5 billion in federally-supported
  EEMs have been issued to date
• Fannie Mae
• Freddie Mac
• HUD-FHA
• VA

37
Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC)

• non-profit corporation
• mission to provide a statewide Green Building
  program with environmental and economic
  benefits.
• 5 universities (UF)
• green building leaders from around the state
• strong presence in Alachua County
• latest draft of standards (Appendix B)
• will begin certifying homes this summer

38
Current Status of GB

• Smith-Feinstein Bill
• proposed January 2001
• tax credits of 750-2000 for homes that are
  30-50 more efficient than the minimum
  requirements of the 2000 International Energy
  Conservation Code
• up to 1,000 for installing solar water heaters
• up to 6,000 for installing photovoltaic systems

39
Current Status of GB (cont.)

• U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental design
  (LEED) commercial buildings
• LEEDR - national standards for residential green
  building
• Frisco, TX
• newest beast of green building programs
• adopts EPAs Energy Star as a requirement for new
  residential construction
• EPA Green Advantage programs
• Florida Energy Extension Service
• Build Green and Profit, etc.

40
Current Status of GB (cont.)

• EPA Energy Star program
• 300 homes certified in Alachua Co. in 2000
• 1 per capita
• NAHB guide to green builder programs
• 115 page manual for developing a green builder
  program
• designed primarily for use by local HBA chapters
• local HBA green building programs
• municipal green building programs

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Coffee Break!
42
Green Building Programs

• How to Design a Local Program

43
NAHB/EPA Guide

• A Guide to Developing Green Builder Programs
• released in April, 1999
• collaborated effort between the National
  Association of Home Builders and the
  Environmental Protection Agency
• 11-step program

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Step One

• determine member and home buyer interest in/basic
  knowledge of green building
• focus groups
• builder surveys
• home buyer surveys

45
Step Two

• establish a development committee
• builders
• remodelers
• HBA leadership
• local government
• lenders
• realtors
• environmental building professionals

46
Step Three

• set objectives of the program
• prioritize developmental steps
• establish goals
• include the community
• public sector
• private sector
• conduct a workshop
• obtain feedback

47
Step Four

• determine program partners
• government agencies
• public utilities
• building product manufacturers
• non-profit organizations/foundations

48
Step Five

• determine program coverage
• type of construction (e.g., residential,
  commercial, governmental, industrial)
• area (e.g., incorporated city, entire county,
  only certain neighborhoods, only urban core)
• builders (e.g., homes, remodeling, light
  commercial, developers)

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Step Six

• discuss first year budget and structure of
  program fees
• year 1 cost to develop and implement program
• year 2 cost for staff and advertising fees for
  membership

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Step Seven

• consider the role of existing programs
• energy
• EPA Energy Star
• Edison Electric Institute E Seal
• Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
• indoor air quality
• American Lung Assoc.s Health House)
• waste management
• NAHB/KAB Build America Beautiful
• energy resource-efficiency
• Good Cents EarthChoice or Environmental Home

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Step Eight

• determine the certification or approval process
• type of process
• self-certification
• governmental
• third party
• type of certification
• per unit
• per builder
• per development

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Step Nine

• discuss and establish program resources and
  activities
• resources
• builder handbook
• GBA resource library
• national program websites
• newsletters and promotional materials
• activities
• training programs
• parade of homes

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Step Ten

• establish key elements of program structure
• standards (voluntary)
• levels
• requirements (involuntary)
• point-system
• organize content areas

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Step Eleven

• create program content items
• energy envelope
• energy other
• indoor water conservation
• outdoor water conservation
• site design and protection
• health and environmental quality
• materials and waste management

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Gainesville Green Building Program

• Facilitated Group Discussion
• to Design a Local Program

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Purpose of Workshop

• break into assigned groups
• choose group facilitator/secretary
• answer questionnaire in group packet (utilize
  individual packets if necessary)
• report group findings
• ask questions/make comments
• turn-in group packet